2008 Audi's S5: A Muscle Car With Class

Back in the 1980s, when Audi's coupes were secret pleasures adored by just a few enthusiasts, the classic high-school car was one of two machines: Mustang or Camaro.

So, as my life has usually ended up, I drove in from left field when I bought an Audi Coupe GT. A trim four-seater with great handling, but not much power (five cylinders and counting), it was the pick of the top car mag's editors -- and it was quite different from the V-8-powered domestic iron. Make that two of us that didn't fit into any crowd.

So it's a little ironic driving Audi's gorgeous, supersonic new S5 coupe, that what comes to mind instantly is a Chevy Camaro Z28. The hotted-up V-8 version of the A5 two-door introduced last year throbs with musclecar power -- and especially from the rear, it's more than a passing resemblance to the coming 2009 Chevrolet Camaro.